Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-03-10
raft. an,aaring like the roof of barn steam.

ing down stream. Was this the Merrimac!
The little fleet came steaming down the river
and out into the roads. Quickly the Mime
sofa and the Roanoke made ready to meet
the newcomers. The queer craft was the
Merrimac at last. The Roanoke had a broken
shaft. She had to be towe6 out into the
w1ter by tugs.
1t does not take long to tell the story OF
what followed. The Minnesota grounded
out of range of the Virginia, and could not
be got off 1t was ebb tide Presently the
Roanoke grounded at the stern. The United
States navy was not worth much more then
than it is now.
The Congress and Cumberland were an
chored nearest to the coming monitor as she
steamed out of Elizabeth river.
There was some exchange of shots as the
Merrimac came booming on. One shot from
her disabled several gunners on the Cumber
land. The Cumberland was swung broadside
across the channel The Merrimac went at
her straight as all arrow and rammed her
iron beak into the Cunberland's side. a
great opening was made and water poured in
a torrent into the Cumberland. Then the
Merrimac opened fire. Every shot hit the
mark, and the decks of the wooden ship were
soon covered with dead and injured. In
three quarters of an hour the mortally hurt
ship went down in fifty-four feet of water,
carrying dead. dying and wounded with her.
Some were picked up i'll boats from the shore
and o few swan to land. The Cum
bcllands topnast showed above wa
ter, with her flag still flying. 1t was
the turn of the Congress next. The
two companion gunboats of the Merrimac
had attacked her. Seeing the fate of the
Cumberland. Lieut.. Pendergast, commander
of the Congress, ran her aground by means
from sinking her. The Merrimac, after sink
ing the Cumberland began pouring shot into
the Congress. The aim of the Confederates
was marvelously accurate. The firing FROM
the Congress had no effect ON the Merrimac's
sloping iron sides.
At 1870 Lieut.. Pendergast, seeing all was
over, hauled down the stars and stripes, and
ran up white flag in token of surrender.
The Confcderates sent tug to take formal
possession.
But the Congress was under shelter of the
Union batteries at Newport News, and they
opened fire and dI owe the tug off. 1t is said
they did not see the white flag. Then the
Merrimac poured red hot shot into the poor
old ship again. Presently she left her and
bore down upon the Minnesota.
lii this interval, the crew of the Congress,
what there were left of them, escaped to
bravo men and true who had composed her
crew, only half answered to their names at
roll call The rest were killed, wounded and
missing.
There had come into Hampton Roads on
Friday, March 6, the naval ship st. Law
renee, a sailer Seeing how the battle was GO
ing, she had herself lowed toward tho
grounded Minnesota, and presently she her.
self grounded. Together the two helpless
vessels waited the onslaught of the iron
bea1ed monster There seems to have
been inexplicablc ignorance of the channels
on the part of the Federal pilots The Roa-
noke, the Minnesota and the ST. Lawrence
all ran aground.
The st. Lawrence fired a broadside at the
Merrimac, which did not the slightest harm.
The Merrimac fired one single shell at the st.
Lawrence 1t went through the wooden ship
like a bolt of lightning. Then the st. Law
renee. hors du combat, stole off like
whipped animal up toward Fortress Monroe.
1t was getting dark The ram and.her at
tendant gtmboats drew off from the fight and
steamed to Sewell's point, where they
anchored. The hot shot the ram had thrown
last into the Congress had been for the pur-
pose of setting fire to her. This object was
accomplished. The battered ship burned to
tile waters edge. About midnight the fires
reached her powder magazine, when she
blew up with tremendous roar, and that
was the end of the Congress.
"Harpcr's Pictorial History says of the Mer-
rimac: mo vessel that ever iioa ed had ever
done so great work il a single half day